


Columbia

by BadLuckBlueEyes



Series: Snapshots 'Verse [16]
Category: Daredevil (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cameras, Canon Disabled Character, Christmas, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Law School, M/M, Photos, Trans Character, Trans Foggy Nelson, present exchanges
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-17
Updated: 2015-08-17
Packaged: 2018-04-15 06:58:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4597197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BadLuckBlueEyes/pseuds/BadLuckBlueEyes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Part sixteen of Snapshots, in which Matt and Foggy meet up again as roommates.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Columbia

Both Matt and Foggy got into Columbia with a surprising amount of ease. They both decided to live on campus, neither knowing that the other was making identical plans. They forgot to check their roommate assignments until they left. Jack remembered to bring his camera, ready to take pictures of Matt. He didn't really care if his roommate liked it. 

Said camera was on as they walked down the hall, Matt walking in front of Jack. Matt paused in front of the door, listening as an unfamiliar voice started cursing at a computer. Jack fiddled with the camera, making sure he could actually take decent pictures in the dorm while Matt unlocked the door and opened it. 

They both went in and Jack was glad that he had the camera ready when Foggy looked up and saw Matt. He took a picture of the huge smile that immediately stretched across Foggy's face and his eyes lit up with recognition. 

"Matt!" Foggy yelled, leaping up and rushing over, grabbing Matt and pulling him into a bone-crushing hug. "I missed you, Buddy, how's everything been?" Matt had stiffened automatically when pulled into the hug, relaxing only when he realized that it was Foggy. He returned the hug with a laugh. Jack snuck in another few pictures. If Matt heard, which Jack figured he had, he didn't react. 

"Crazy." Matt finally replied when they broke apart. "I didn't recognize you at first, your voice finally dropped." he took on a teasing tone, bringing up something they had joked about years ago. When Matt's voice lost its childish high pitch, he started teasing Foggy about needing to catch up. Foggy had always gone along with it, figuring that he'd eventually do something to make it deeper. That ended up being true when hrt deepened Foggy's voice. He'd been so relieved. 

"Yeah, I caught up." Foggy joked, glancing at Jack, greeting him with a bright smile and a wave, which Jack returned. "High school was good for something." he added. Matt laughed and Foggy looked him up and down. 

"Damn, you got hot." he said a second later, not realizing he was saying it out loud. Matt immediately turned bright red, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to figure out how to respond. Jack had to turn away, smothering his laughter. 

"I mean, you know.." Foggy started, flushing bright pink, "It's probably been great with girls and stuff.. You started getting that whole handsome, wounded duck thing going, right?" 

"It didn't work out too well." Matt replied, his blush receding. 

"Oh. Bummer. That sucks, buddy." Foggy shrugged. "Just shrugged, by the way. You'll figure something out, I'm sure." Matt nodded, turning to drop his duffel bag on the bed. He disappeared a moment later, saying he wanted to find the bathroom, and for a minute Jack was alone with Foggy. 

"So Foggy, you find a name you like?" Foggy grinned and nodded. 

"It took until halfway through high school, but it's Franklin now. On all of the documents and stuff. But Foggy is still a good name too." 

"Sounds good." Jack nodded. "Franklin suits you." he lowered his voice, not sure if Matt could hear or if Foggy had ever told Matt. "So you transitioned? Your voice has dropped since we last talked. How's it all been?" 

"It's great." Foggy spread his arms. "Family's still talking to me, they're mad that I'm not a butcher, I had top surgery a while ago and I started doing hormone therapy. I've been lucky." 

"Sounds it." Jack agreed, sitting on the edge of Matt's bed. "You look good, Foggy. Very manly." Foggy grinned and ducked his head, mumbling a quiet thank you. Matt reappeared a moment later, slipping into the room. Foggy's computer made a noise and he jumped, turning around to check it. He sighed in relief when his class registration went through. 

"You two didn't know you were roommates?" Jack asked, looking from Matt to Foggy. Foggy glanced at Matt and shook his head. 

"Nah, I forgot to check before leaving. I got here as early as I could to get the better bed." he blushed. "I mean, Matt could have this one if he wanted." Matt shrugged. 

"Doesn't make a difference to me." he sat down next to Jack. "This is definitely a good surprise though. Now I know I'm not spending the next year rooming with some asshole." Foggy nodded in agreement. 

"This is way better than I was expecting. I was worried I'd be with someone who was going to hate me for-" He paused, glancing at Matt. "Someone who was going to be an asshole." 

Jack glanced between the two of them and figured that he didn't need to help Matt unpack that much. He just wanted to see him off. He stood up, casting one last look around the room. 

"I'm going to head out, let you two catch up and unpack and everything. Call me whenever you need me, both of you." he said, ruffling Matt's hair because Matt was still his kid and he could. 

When he walked away from the campus, Jack sighed in relief, realizing that he had been worried about whoever Matt's roommate was going to be. He was glad that Foggy would be there for his kid. Matt had been better in high school about getting out of bed, about not getting weighed down by the world. His grades had climbed back up, he had been taking his medicine without issue for years, and he was doing well. 

But Matt was finally moving out. He had commuted in his first four years of college, choosing to stay home and save a little bit of money. Jack was relieved then, still feeling protective of Matt. Jack wasn't an overprotective parent, but he couldn't say that he wasn't worried by the thought of his blind kid moving out and living in the city to go to school. He figured he was justified in that thinking, but he didn't tell anyone that. 

At the same time, Matt was fully capable of handling himself. That asshole Stick, for all the bad that he had done, had taught Matt some basic self defense, and Jack had to acknowledge that he was glad that Matt could defend himself. Jack had tried to teach Matt too, but something got lost in translation and Matt pretty much failed altogether in picking up any useful information from Jack as far as fighting went. It probably had to do with the fact that Jack focused on his opponent, searching out weaknesses and going for those, focusing on watching the fight. 

The blind teaching the blind, though it was something Jack could not picture, had worked out somewhat. 

Jack let himself into the apartment, which was already feeling emptier without Matt. His bedroom was stripped bare, bookshelf emptied and the little things that he tended to leave out around the apartment were gone. 

Jack sat down on the couch and turned on the tv, putting the camera on the coffee table. For the first time in years, he didn't have anything to look forward to taking pictures of. 

*** 

Within two weeks of living with him, Matt thought that he was pretty sure he was in love with Foggy. The bad, head over heels, would-do-anything-for kind of love. Foggy was in love with Matt too, though he assumed that Matt was straight and would never want to hook up with his best friend from elementary school. They had known each other for too long. 

At the same time, Foggy knew that they had both changed in their time apart. They had become different people. Foggy had grown, had experienced some of the worser parts of the world in his time transitioning, had dealt with people's cruelty and come out on the other side. He could see that Matt had grown, too. Matt had always been quiet in public, but more enthusiastic and ready to open up and have fun around Foggy, but now he was quieter most of the time. He burned with some kind of quiet intensity, as though something was eating him up on the inside. He was also twitchier, jumping easily whenever Foggy disturbed their silences. 

On the bright side, the silences were always comfortable. Nothing between them felt awkward. At first. As time passed and the year progressed, things got weird. Foggy wouldn't call it uncomfortable, he was always comfortable around Matt, but the energy between them was getting weirder. The biggest difference, Foggy felt, between the Matt he knew when they were both little and the Matt he knew now, was how Matt shut down when he got overwhelmed. Matt was always happy, but now Foggy would walk into the dorm to find Matt curled up in bed, hidden under a pile of blankets. 

Every time that happened, Foggy would, without hesitation, drop what he was doing and stay with Matt, trying to boost him back up. He wasn't beyond scooching Matt over and cuddling with him either. Matt never protested when Foggy did, always making sure they could both fit on the mattress and making himself comfortable in Foggy's arms. 

Foggy figured that that was what people did when they loved someone. They did everything they could to make someone smile, because that smile was the only reward that they needed. Seeing Matt smile was worth it. 

Matt smiled less now than he did when they were little, and whenever Foggy could coax out a genuine smile, he felt good for days afterwards. Even if Matt didn't love Foggy back, they were buddies. They helped each other out. 

Matt definitely had his back, always reminding him about his classes and making sure that Foggy was on top of everything and that Foggy was doing everything he was supposed to. 

*** 

They found themselves at Matt's apartment on Christmas, celebrating with Jack. Jack hadn't done much to decorate besides setting up a small tree. He wasn't a decorator and he was the only one who was going to enjoy it if he did, so he figured he wasn't obligated to set up beyond putting the ornaments on the tree and putting a present or two underneath it for Matt. They had finally reached some semblance of financial stability where Jack could afford to give Matt presents in the past years. It had only taken a solid seventeen years after Matt's birth to actually get that far. 

On that Christmas, they sat around the living room eating rotisserie chicken with their fingers while a fireplace crackled on the television. Jack and Matt were still in pajamas, and Matt wasn't wearing his glasses. It was later in the day, Foggy had spent the morning celebrating with his family, but he had come at Jack's invitation after Jack called him the second son he never had. He couldn't turn it down. 

"You want to open presents?" Jack asked, wiping his fingers off with his napkin. 

"Did you guys not open them before?" Foggy asked, looking at Jack. Jack shook his head. 

"There's one for you in there so we waited." 

"Aw, you didn't have to." Foggy smiled, feeling like he needed to melt into the couch immediately. 

"We did." Matt said, smiling at Foggy. "I wanted to wait." Foggy's smile somehow got wider and he gestured to Matt and Jack. 

"You two lead the way, I guess." Jack nodded in response and stood up, grabbing the small bundle of presents and dropping two in each of their laps, sitting back down to watch. 

Jack leaned back, crossing his legs, smiling as Foggy quietly described the batman wrapping paper to Matt, who chuckled as he listened. 

Matt was not surprised to find a book, but he laughed when he read the title. 

"The Princess Bride? Really?" 

"Classic story of love and adventure. It's a funny book." Jack said unapologetically. "Besides, you're going to need something lighthearted before finals." 

"He has a point, you know." Foggy agreed. He was not ready for finals, but Matt probably was already. Matt rolled his eyes and shook his head, nudging Foggy with his elbow. 

"Just open yours." Foggy did, laughing when he saw his own copy of the same book. Jack grinned. 

"Same goes for you, Foggy. Open the other one, that's better." Jack pointed at the smaller package in Foggy's lap. 

Foggy did, raising his eyebrows as he stared at the small frame Jack had given him. In it was a picture of his face. He examined it, realizing that it was the moment he had looked up from his computer and realized that his roommate was Matt. The corner of Foggy's lip tilted up as he stared at the photo. 

Jack watched as Foggy examined the photo. He had told Matt while he was wrapping it what it was, and Matt thought it sounded like a nice photo. Matt smiled from his seat next to Foggy, listening as his heart rate sped up. 

“Is this not in any albums, then?” Foggy finally asked, looking up. Jack shook his head in disbelief. 

“You think I’m not putting that in an album? That’s a great picture, come on. Have you even met me?” Jack raised one eyebrow, shaking his head again. “Not putting it in an album.” He scoffed. 

“I think you just insulted my dad.” Matt said, smiling. “That’s fantastic.” 

“Shut up and open your present.” Jack retorted. Matt put his hands up in a gesture of innocence and tore away at the wrapping paper. 

“Really dad? Fuzzy socks?” Jack crossed his arms and tilted his head. 

“Really Matty?" Jack matched his tone. "Tell me that you hate them. I dare you.” Matt’s ears turned red and he said nothing, running his fingers over the pair of socks on top. 

“Thought so.” Jack finished, glancing at Matt’s ears. Jack knew. He also knew that Matt loved fuzzy socks, which was why he had bought five pairs. Parent of the year, he was. Matt put everything on the couch next to him and stood, disappearing into his room for a moment and returning with a wrapped present of his own. 

“It’s from both of us. Foggy helped pay and then he wrapped it.” He said, sitting back on the couch and stopping himself from leaning into Foggy. 

“You told me to wrap it.” Foggy protested. “I think I did all right.” 

“Better than I would have.” Matt agreed. “Open it dad.” 

Jack snorted and tore away the paper, his mouth dropping open when he saw the present. 

“His mouth just hit the floor.” Foggy leaned over to Matt and informed him. “Not literally, but you know…” Matt nodded, grinning. 

“You got me a new camera?” 

“You needed one. Yours is making scary noises when you turn it on. Retire that thing, please.” Matt emphasized the please, unable to stop himself from smiling. “You like it though, right?” 

“Yeah, it’s good.” Jack finally managed, still shocked that Matt had thought to get him a new camera. “It’s digital?” 

“That’s what they told me.” Matt shrugged. 

“Yeah, it had good reviews when I looked it up on amazon.” Foggy piped up. 

“I don’t know if I want to hug you or take a picture.” Jack grinned, opening the box. Matt laughed, throwing back his head and resting it on the couch. Jack found that the camera needed charging, so he settled for hugging them both and swearing to use the camera well. 

As Foggy got ready to leave to go back home, Matt walked him to the door. Foggy hesitated in the doorway, picking up a small bag that he had left in the entryway when he came in. 

“I got you something too. I know you said you didn’t want anything, but I got you something anyway.” he rushed his words. He had been mentally rehearsing what to say, getting ready to tell Matt that he liked him, was in love with him, and suddenly he couldn’t, so he shoved the small bag into Matt’s chest and ran out the door. Matt closed it behind Foggy and returned to the living room, holding the bag. Jack was silent. He already knew what was in it, Foggy had called and asked for help writing a note to explain the present. He fiddled with the camera while Matt disappeared into his room. 

When he dumped the bag out on the bed, something small and plush fell out, accompanied a moment later by the fluttering sound of paper hitting the mattress. Matt picked up the note, opening it and reading it. 

_It’s a Foggy bear. For when you’re down and I’m not there to help._ Matt dropped the note and picked up the bear, holding it to his chest. It was soft and warm. That night he fell asleep with the small stuffed animal clutched tight in his arms. 

*** 

Matt and Foggy continued to match each other’s grades, excelling in classes. They also continued to dance around each other, trying to not acknowledge their feelings for each other. The rest of law school rushed by, and suddenly they were graduating, posing next to each other while Jack took pictures. 

They both passed the bar on their first try, celebrating with Jack and Foggy’s parents when the results came out. Jack put a new picture up the apartment, next to the one with him and Matt at Jack’s graduation, bringing the total of framed photos in the apartment to two. 

Matt and Foggy had avoided dating anyone at Columbia, instead staying to themselves and encouraging the other to date certain classmates, and then not following up on each other’s suggestions, citing one lame excuse or the other. 

Jack, whenever he saw them, thought he was going to develop an ulcer from the stress of not saying anything about the fact that they were so _clearly_ in love with each other. He was starting to feel like he was in a poorly-written romance. At least he wasn’t the one pining for someone. He didn’t know if he could handle that. Hopefully they figured it out before one of them did something stupid.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to J for the beta read. Hope you all enjoyed!


End file.
